Apologies, I did not mean my previous email to go to the list as a whole, please ignore it. I forgot to check the address when I hit reply! Sorry, Anna From: Robert and Judith James Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2014 4:38 PM To: va_lcg_act@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: Anne Menon Subject: [va_lcg_act] Fw: VA LCG Reminder and March Volunteer Newsletter Hi VA LCG members, Just a reminder that we meet on Wednesday at 1:00pm in the VA Office, bring your lunch at 12:30. Anne Menon will be our guest. You will see from the Volunteer Newsletter something of Anne's style, come and support her with your ideas. Also at our meeting I can report on the Regional Client Com. which met lst night. We had with us Michael Simpson the NSW/ACT General Manager and I had a conversation with him about problems experienced by clients with VAILS, if you use audio books, this will interest you. The next RCC meeting will be at Enfield and I am looking for a representative to attend as I will be overseas. Lastly, the National Gallery of Australia has a free descriptive tour of Inca Gold on Saturday at 2:30pm. A guide will take VIPs and their companions through this marvelous exhibition. Please ring NLA to record your intention to attend. Yours, Bob James [if you need to reply to me use my email randjjames1@xxxxxxxxx] ----- Original Message ----- From: Anne Menon To: Robert (Bob) James Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2014 2:04 PM Subject: March Volunteer Newsletter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canberra & Orange March 2014 A message from Ron Hooton our CEO, Last months newsletter introduced Vision Australias new Strategic Plan 2014-2018 and I am hoping that most of you will have already obtained a copy and had a chance to read through it. If you havent, please contact your Coordinator of Volunteers or go onto our website to view the new plan. If there are any areas of the new Strategic Plan you would like explained further, please contact your Coordinator of Volunteers or local Team Manager. Some of you will have been part of our consultative forums there were 15 held at 12 sites last year to ensure that we had a really good cross section of views on the way forward from our clients, their carers and families, staff, volunteers and donors. These forums have given us the confidence that our new plan will take us into the future in ways which will best support our clients needs. If you were able to take part, you have helped create this new Plan thank you. While our Strategic Plan has new emphasis in some areas and new directions for us to work towards, there are no overnight changes. We are counting on you, our volunteers, to generously continue to support our clients in the very many ways you do. We could not continue to run the range of services we provide without you. Our new Strategic Plan is essential - it will enable Vision Australia to remain sustainable into the new and more competitive future which personalised funding will create. We continue to support the right of people with disability to be independent and have choice over where they go for services and we are working to ensure we will continue to be the leading service provider in the blindness and low vision field. Again, I would like to thank you for your generous assistance and to assure you that we are very grateful for the support you provide for Australians who are blind or have low vision. Their independence is the core of why Vision Australia exists and we are very pleased to share our new way forward with you in our Strategic Plan. Kind regards, Ron Hooton Visit our website to view Vision Australias Strategic Plan and, if youd like to share your thoughts, feedback and ask questions about the plan, head to the discussion board. Vision 2014, the worlds leading conference on low vision, visits Melbourne In conjunction with the International Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation, Vision Australia is proud to announce that it will host The 11th International Conference on Low Vision in Melbourne 31 March 3 April 2014. The scientific program will explore all aspects of the Conference theme: Advancing Research, Upgrading Practice and Improving Participation. According to the World Health Organisation, more than 246 million people worldwide have low vision. And, while more than 90% of people who are blind or have low vision reside in developing countries, with an increasing elderly population in developed countries, more and more people are at risk of age-related vision impairment. Vision 2014 will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 31 March 3 April 2014. Seeing Eye Dogs Australia Open Day! Date: Saturday 22nd March 2014 Time: 11:30am to 2:00pm Address: 17 Barrett Street, Kensington VIC Entry: a gold coin donation at entry. Be one of the first to visit Seeing Eye Dogs Australias brand new, state of the art Kennel and Breeding facilities in Kensington, Victoria. Take the opportunity to see puppies playing in their new Puppy Centre. Well be running training, obedience and vet health demonstrations throughout the event. There will be a kids colouring competition, raffles as well as our merchandise on sale and you can also enjoy a BBQ run by North Melbourne Rotary Club or a coffee as you see what our new facility has to offer. (Please note that pets cannot be brought to the open day). Annes Corner Phew, autumn is finally here. We will soon have those gorgeous autumn days and cool nights that the area is rightfully proud of. I, for one, cannot wait! We have some interesting volunteer assignments coming up, so please do give them a glance over and thanks to those wonderful people who have stepped up in the last month to help with volunteer requests. We are also knee deep in planning our annual Volunteer Appreciation function; please watch next months newsletter for more information. Our Volunteer of the month for March is Mr. Bob James. Do you have a volunteer you think should be our volunteer of the month for April? Please, let me know your thoughts. Just click on my photo to be taken to an email form with my details on it. Have a great March! Cheers Anne Coordinator of Volunteers Canberra & Orange Definition of a Volunteer: A volunteer is a person who believes that people can make a difference - and is willing to prove it. Volunteer of the Month - March Bob James Has lived in Canberra for about 20 years, previously a Wagga boy. How long volunteering with Vision Australia? About 15 years Hobbies/memberships Bob is a keen cyclist - has toured Germany, the Danube, Czech Republic and Austria as well as touring New Zealand and Australia extensively. His most memorable place has been his visit to Prague; he was amazed at the variety of cultural experiences. Bob has been fortunate in that he has never had a bad experience in all his travelling by bike around the world! Volunteering roles with Vision Australia: Coaching of tandem riders. Client representative and convener of the book club. High point of your time with Vision Australia Commencement of the local client group and being one of the first client representatives. Learning about Vision Australia in some depth at the client level. Most recent role with Vision Australia: Still working with Vision Australia! Motto is: Anything truly worth doing is worth doing badly! It is better to make the effort and do a poor job, than not to try at all!) Bob on behalf of us all at Vision Australia, thank you for your ongoing hard work and commitment, it is appreciated. Volunteering By the numbers a.. ACT and area volunteers contribute over $1.5 billion to the ACT economy annually! (source: Volunteering ACT) b.. 4.6 million volunteers work with not for profit organisations, with a wage equivalent value of $14.6 billion. c.. 36% of the adult population of Australia (5.6 million people) volunteered in 2010, for a total of 713 million hours or the equivalent of 371,354 full time positions. "What volunteers bring is the human touch, the individual, caring approach that no government program, however well-meaning and well-executed, can deliver." --Actor Edward James Olmos Have you worked with Vision Australia in the past month? Please let me know any hours you have worked for and with us. An email is fine, and a call is always appreciated. Its an indication of how seriously we take your time and expertise, that this information is required monthly by our head office! a.. Personal Reader - Canberra, for a client who has a large library of books. He is keen to be able to discuss books during/after the reading. A great assignment for the literati among us. a.. Crossword enthusiast - Canberra - Share your passion for crosswords with this client, doing crosswords with them in their home. a.. Drivers - Canberra - Transporting clients to various activities and appointments as needed. We are always in need of volunteers, with a clean driving license and their own car to undertake this vital task. a.. Volunteer Host for Induction Training - Canberra - Set up and break down of meeting room, administration and COV support for the day. Will be required approximately 1 day per month at the Canberra Vision Australia Office. A big thank you to ALL the volunteers who responded to our request last month for people to sew play mats for children with blindness or low vision. We were greatly impressed by the response and our early childhood workers are delighted, with their new supplies. Please contact Anne Menon, if you are able to help with any of these activities or perhaps to share your own suggestions for volunteering opportunities Love to hear from you! Over to you Do you have any articles, funny stories, or newsworthy items that the rest of our volunteer workforce would be interested in? Or perhaps you have some new ideas for other content. Please contact Anne Menon We would love to hear from you, after all, this is your newsletter! Lets keep in touch! Please let us know if your contact details have changed. Contact Details: Anne Menon (Coordinator of Volunteers) Vision Australia: Level 2, Saraton Building, 22 East Row, Canberra, ACT, 2601 Postal Address: GPO Box 1499, Canberra, ACT, 2601 Phone: 02 6132 5816 Email: anne.menon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Volunteers have the right to be supported and supervised in your role Volunteers have the responsibility to assist in the delivery of service as agreed to in your Volunteer Assignment Follow Vision Australia on: Please let me know(anne.menon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) if you would like to receive this newsletter by email or post, or would prefer not to receive it at all. Many Thanks, Anne Menon Coordinator of Volunteers Canberra and Orange Vision Australia Level 2, Saraton Building 22 East Row Canberra, ACT, 2601 (GPO Box 1499) Inter Office:218 816 Phone: 02 6132 5800 Direct: 02 6132 5816 Fax: 02 6132 5821 Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections every few years, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vision Australia, in conjunction with the International Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation, is hosting the 11th International Conference on Low Vision in Melbourne - Vision2014. The conference will be held on 31 March to 3 April and will showcase a stimulating scientific program from the worlds leading low vision practitioners and researchers. For more information or to register your place visit www.vision2014.org or call the congress secretariat on 03 9682 0500. ABN: 67 108 391 831 ACN: 108 391 831 Vision Australia is a partnership between people who are blind, sighted or have low vision. We are united by our passion that people who are blind or have low vision will have access to and fully participate in every part of life they choose. 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